Podcast 380: iRIP & Kindle Fire

For tech fans of the show (pls see: “geeks“…don’t worry, I’m one of you), we have put together a whopper of a program (over 2.5 hrs) for you this week!

With the tragic passing of Apple icon, Steve Jobs, I am joined by guest host Patrick as we delve into Jobs’ legacy and his influence over the computer industry, pop-culture, technology and the world.

We begin with a biographical overview of Jobs’ life and subsequent rise in the world of personal computing; from his own roots as an adopted child, to the birth of the Apple I & Apple II, the first Macintosh, his time at Pixar / Disney, NeXT Computers and finally back at Apple again. We attempt to measure his influence over the world and of the many advances that can be traced back to his innovation and creativity.

Undoubtedly, Jobs was a visionary who was ahead of his time. He had an uncanny ability to know what people wanted, before they knew they wanted it – and, as a result – charted a course that the rest of us had no choice but to follow. The first half of this week’s show is dedicated to his life, accomplishments and inventions.

The second half of the show focuses, ironically enough, on a device that was arguably influenced by one of Jobs’ own devices. Amazon recently announced their newest tablet, The Kindle Fire.

Touted as the likely (and most well-positioned) competitor to the iPad, the Kindle Fire is already on track to be the fastest selling tablet launch in history. However, as two people who own both the iPad and have pre-ordered the Kindle Fire, Patrick & I discuss how the Fire may not be the “iPad killer” that people speculate it could be, but rather something entirely different and even more impressive.

The remainder of the show delves into a full and comprehensive breakdown of the Fire; including first impressions, specs, limitations & advantages and everything else you need to know about Amazon’s newest device.